Golf tee for a swing practice training mat

ABSTRACT

A golf tee for a swing practice training mat is disclosed. The golf tee is designed for playing a golf ball off of a mat, at a desired elevation, without the need to lift the mat and change the tee. The present invention allows for replacement of the tee from a top surface of the mat. The golf tee is formed as a cylindrical body having an axial bore for retaining a shaft end of a conventional tee therein. A plurality of raised ridges are disposed at a radially offset angle along a longitudinal length of the cylindrical body. The plurality of ridges may be configured for threaded engagement with a hole in the swing practice training mat.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 63/201,795 filed May 13, 2021, the contents of which areherein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates the game of golf, and more particularly totraining equipment for the game of golf.

Golfers spend a great deal of time at driving ranges to practice theirgolf swing. These driving ranges typically utilize a mat to support agolf ball and on which the golfer strikes the golf ball during practice.The ball may be supported directly on the mat or it may be elevated fromthe mat by a tee.

Most practice mat tees are a flexible cylindrical element with a widebase at a bottom end. The golf ball is carried on the top end. A body ofthe tee is carried through a hole in the mat such that the wide baseretains the tee with the mat when the ball, and coincidentally, the teeare struck by the golf club.

While these tees may have various lengths so that the golfer maypractice their swing with a particular club, these tees can be difficultto change. The golfer must lift the mat, find an appropriate holethrough which to put the tee, and lower the mat while attempting toretain the tee in the hole. Depending upon its size, the mat may bequite heavy. Likewise, the mat may be dirty, and the underside of themat often makes a habitat for bugs and spiders.

Even though the length of the tee may be changed, as described, thegolfer is unable to adjust the elevation of the tee to a precise ordesired elevation.

As can be seen, there is a need for improved golf tee for a swingpractice training mat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a golf tee for use with a swingpractice training mat is disclosed. The golf tee includes a cylindricalbody made of a resilient elastomeric material. The cylindrical bodyhaving a top end and a bottom end. A bore at the top end of thecylindrical body extends longitudinally through at least a majority ofthe cylindrical body. The bore is dimensioned to receive a shaft of aconventional golf tee. A plurality of ridges are defined about a lateralsidewall of the cylindrical body in a spaced apart relation along alongitudinal length of the lateral sidewall. The plurality of ridges areconfigured for a thread like engagement with a hole defined in the swingpractice training mat.

In some embodiments, a rounded converging tip is defined at the bottomend of the cylindrical body. The rounded converging tip is dimensionedfor alignment of the cylindrical body when inserted into the hole.

In some embodiments, the bore is aligned with an axial centerline of thecylindrical body.

In some embodiments, a depression is defined in a top face of thecylindrical body. The depression is dimensioned to support a golf balltherein. The depression may be spheroidal to support a spheroidalsurface of the golf ball supported therein.

In some embodiments, the bore is dimensioned to receive the shaft of theconventional golf tee with an interference fit.

In some embodiments, the shaft of the conventional golf tee isadjustably received in the bore to allow a vertical adjustment in aheight of a head of the conventional golf tee.

In some embodiment, the plurality of ridges define a helical threadalong the longitudinal length of the cylindrical body.

In other aspects of the invention, a golf tee for use with a swingpractice training mat is disclosed. The golf tee includes a cylindricalbody made of a resilient elastomeric material. A depression is definedin a top surface of the cylindrical body and is dimensioned to support agolf ball thereon. A plurality of ridges are defined along a lateralsidewall of the cylindrical body in a spaced apart relation along thelateral sidewall. The plurality of ridges are configured for adjustablycoupling the golf tee with a hole defined in the swing practice trainingmat to set the top surface of the cylindrical body at a desiredsupported ball height relative an upper surface of the swing practicetraining mat.

In some embodiments, a bore, defined in the top surface the cylindricalbody, extends longitudinally into the cylindrical body. The bore isdimensioned to receive a shaft of a conventional golf tee with aninterference fit.

In some embodiments, the bore is dimensioned to adjustably receive theshaft of the conventional golf tee to set a head of the conventionalgolf tee at the desired supported ball height, with the golf ballsupported on the head.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf mat tee holder shown in useengaged with a golf mat and holding a golf tee .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the golf mat tee holder.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the golf mat tee holder.

FIG. 4 is a section view of the golf mat tee holder shown in use, takenalong line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide an improved a golftee for use with a swing practice training mat. As seen in FIGS. 1-4,the golf tee includes a cylindrical body 10 made of a resilientelastomeric material, such as rubber. The cylindrical body 10 includes abore 14 that extends longitudinally through at least a majority of thecylindrical body 10. The bore 14 is dimensioned to receive a shaft of aconventional golf tee 18. Preferably, the bore 14 is aligned with anaxial centerline of the cylindrical body 10.

A plurality of ridges 12 are defined about a lateral sidewall of thecylindrical body 10. The plurality of ridges 12 are disposed in a spacedapart relation along a lateral sidewall of the cylindrical body 10. Theplurality of ridges 12 are aligned at an angle that is radially offsetalong a longitudinal length of the of the cylindrical body 10. Theridges 12 are oriented for a thread like engagement with a hole 22defined through the golf mat 20. In some embodiments, the plurality ofridges 12 only partially circumscribe the lateral sidewall of thecylindrical body 10. In other embodiments the plurality of ridges 12define a helical thread.

A bottom end of the cylindrical body 10 may include a converging tip.The converging tip is dimensioned for alignment of the cylindrical body10 as it is initially inserted into the hole 22 and terminates prior tothe plurality of ridges 12. A top face of the cylindrical body includesa depression 16. The depression 16 is preferably spheroidal to supportthe spheroidal surface of a golf ball supported therein. The depression16 may have a depth to contain a head of a conventional golf tee 18therein.

As indicated, the cylindrical body 10 is threading received within thehole 22 in the golf mat 20 with the golf mat supported on a groundsurface 24. Advantageously, the golfer may insert the cylindrical body10 into the hole 22 from a top surface of the mat 20, without the needto lift the mat 20 from the ground surface 24 for placement of the tee18. Engagement of the plurality of ridges 12 with the hole 22 willsecure the tee holder within the hole 22. The golfer may adjust thevertical elevation of the top face by a selected thread depth of thecylindrical body 10 into the hole 22.

The golfer may also obtain a desired supported vertical elevation oftheir golf ball by inserting a conventional tee 18 within the bore 14such that the head end of the conventional tee 18 is positioned at thedesired supported vertical elevation. The shaft end of the tee 18 isresiliently retained within the bore 14 with a close interference fit.If the golfer desires a higher or a lower supported vertical elevation,they can simply extend the shaft of the conventional tee 18 into thebore or retract the shaft therefrom.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A golf tee for use with a swing practice trainingmat, comprising: a cylindrical body made of a resilient elastomericmaterial, the cylindrical body having a top end and a bottom end; a boreat the top end of the cylindrical body, extends longitudinally throughat least a majority of the cylindrical body, the bore is dimensioned toreceive a shaft of a conventional golf tee; and a plurality of ridgesdefined about a lateral sidewall of the cylindrical body in a spacedapart relation along a longitudinal length of a lateral sidewall of thecylindrical body, the plurality of ridges configured for a thread likeengagement with a hole defined in the swing practice training mat.
 2. Agolf tee of claim 1, further comprising: a rounded converging tipdefined at the bottom end of the cylindrical body, the roundedconverging tip is dimensioned for alignment of the cylindrical body wheninserted into the hole.
 3. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the bore isaligned with an axial centerline of the cylindrical body.
 4. The golftee of claim 1, further comprising: a depression defined in a top faceof the cylindrical body, the depression dimensioned to support a golfball therein.
 5. The golf tee of claim 4, wherein the depression isspheroidal to support a spheroidal surface of the golf ball supportedtherein.
 6. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the bore is dimensioned toreceive the shaft of the conventional golf tee with an interference fit.7. The golf tee of claim 1, wherein the shaft of the conventional golftee is adjustably received in the bore to allow a vertical adjustment ina height of a head of the conventional golf tee.
 8. The golf tee ofclaim 1, wherein the plurality of ridges define a helical thread alongthe longitudinal length of the cylindrical body.
 9. A golf tee for usewith a swing practice training mat, comprising: a cylindrical body madeof a resilient elastomeric material; a depression defined in a topsurface of the cylindrical body dimensioned to support a golf ballthereon; and a plurality of ridges defined along a lateral sidewall ofthe cylindrical body in a spaced apart relation along the lateralsidewall, the plurality of ridges configured for adjustably coupling thegolf tee with a hole defined in the swing practice training mat to setthe top surface of the cylindrical body at a desired supported ballheight relative an upper surface of the swing practice training mat. 10.The golf tee of claim 9, further comprising: a bore, defined in the topsurface the cylindrical body, extends longitudinally into thecylindrical body, the bore dimensioned to receive a shaft of aconventional golf tee with an interference fit.
 11. The golf tee ofclaim 10, wherein the bore is dimensioned to adjustably receive theshaft of the conventional golf tee to set a head of the conventionalgolf tee at the desired supported ball height, with the golf ballsupported on the head.